


Love Comes First

by pumpkinpetals



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: AU, Alcohol, Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Bad Parent Maryse Lightwood, Bad Parent Robert Lightwood, Fluff, Gen, Happy Ending, Homophobia, M/M, Malec, Mostly malec, Mutual Pining, Pining
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-12
Updated: 2017-08-25
Packaged: 2018-12-14 15:44:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11786292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pumpkinpetals/pseuds/pumpkinpetals
Summary: A University/College AU.Alec moves into a new apartment building for his last year of University and tries to ignore his feelings towards his more than enthusiastic neighbor, Magnus Bane.Fluff, mutual pining, angst, terrible parenting, and more fluff will ensue.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE READING:  
> \- I'm from England and don't know anything about American College life which is why I've set this fic in the UK  
> \- I live in the North of England and don't know anything about how people act in different parts of the UK so that's why I'm using Idris as a fake city and not just setting it in a real one  
> \- I'm currently in University so I sort of know what I'm talking about but I don't drink alcohol/go out partying/I have no experience with that aspect of student life outside of what I heard my first year flatmates doing through the walls so A) pray for my soul and B) hopefully it's kind of realistic???
> 
> I know I said at the end of my Sleeping Beauty AU that I was going to stick with one-shots for a while but I was inspired the other night and ended up with a 3766 word plan for this so I thought why not #lmao #prayforme #lowimpulsecontrol
> 
> Alsooo this was totally a set up chapter so it's gonna get better!  
> Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed!!!

With a sigh, Alec bent down to open the last two of his boxes. Moving to the UK three years ago had been stressful enough, but having to fit his entire life into a taxi presented its own set of challenges.

It was tradition for Lightwood family members to go to Alicante University. It had been that way for more generations than anyone knew. Both of Alec’s parents, Robert and Maryse, were well respected Alumni and, after graduating, had moved from England to America. There, Robert had inherited his father’s law firm, Lightwood & Co, and the pair had married and raised Alec, along with his three siblings, Isabelle, Jace and, more recently, Max.

Alicante University was in Idris, a sprawling city found on the East coast of England, somewhere between Cambridge and Lincoln, well known for its environmental activism and diverse population.

For the first three years of his life in Idris, Alec had lived in an apartment complex that was run by the University. However, when that was closed down for refurbishment, Alec’s parents had insisted that he, along with Isabelle and Jace, all move into the same building so that they could be closer to each other. Alec knew that his parent’s ulterior motive was to have him try and keep his younger siblings in check and so he had agreed under the condition that he could have his own apartment.

Alec arrived at his new building on the Saturday evening and managed to get all of his things up to his room in less than an hour. However, by the time he had finished, he was so exhausted that after making his bed, he crawled under the covers and fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning, Alec had time to appreciate the apartment for what it was. There was a double bed in the far-right corner – something that Alec was happy about, considering his old bed had been narrow and full of springs. A small kitchenette took up most of the left wall and it was complete with a breakfast bar and two black stools. A tiny bathroom was directly to the right of the front door and then the rest of the space was filled with furniture that could be found in every student’s room across the globe.

There was a tall, narrow bookshelf in one corner, two worn end tables beside the bed, a long desk next to a window and a comfortable looking office chair that had armrests and wheels. There was also a fitted wardrobe and it had a chest of drawers hidden within it.

There were three windows – one beside the bed, one above a tired looking black sofa that Alec sympathetically related to, and one next to the desk. All three of the windows opened with a sqeak and allowed access to the fire escape. It was quite spacious and he shared it with one other room. The only thing that suggested anyone lived next door to him at all were the closed blinds and a tiny gold plant pot balanced precariously on the window ledge.

By Sunday afternoon, Alec had managed to unpack most of his things. The bookshelf wasn’t really big enough and he had been forced pile several of his textbooks onto the windowsill. His clothes were all put away, his bed was made, his laptop was perched on the desk, humming energetically as it downloaded several documents he had to read before classes started. The WiFi had been easy enough to set up and, earlier that morning, he had also gone out to the closest shop and bought enough food to last him the week.

Now, all Alec to do was wait. Isabelle and Jace were due to arrive any minute and he had promised that he would help them move in. Like him, they had been shipped off to Idris for University. However, they both opted to live in halls for their first year – something they both enjoyed immensely – and they were now moving into a four-bed apartment. According to the group chat Isabelle, Jace and Alec shared, the two people they were going to be living with were already there.

Alec was just about to text Isabelle when his phone began to ring. His mother’s photograph smiled coolly up at him and, with a sigh, he answered.

“Hi, mom.”

Maryse ignored his greeting and cut straight to it.

“Have they arrived yet?”

“No,” Alec said, standing up and pacing around the room, “but they’re probably just stuck in traffic or something.” Talking with his mother made him anxious at the best of times.

“Let me know when they get there. And make sure they call me. It’s only ten o’clock here so I’ll be around.” Alec waited a beat, and when he was sure Maryse had nothing else to say, he cleared his throat.

“Sure, mom. I’m sure it’ll be any second no-”

“Yes. Well, keep me updated. I’ve got to go. Talk to you soon.”

And with that, Maryse hung up and Alec placed his phone on the breakfast bar, digging his nails into the palms of his hands. He was used to his parents being brash but it still stung sometimes.

Ten minutes later, Alec was still waiting and when someone knocked on his door, he thought that maybe Isabelle and Jace had arrived and forgotten to text him. But, looking through the spyhole, he saw a smiling girl with dark skin, white hair piled into two buns on top of her head and a clipboard pressed to her chest.

Alec contemplated ignoring her and pretending that he wasn’t in but, when the girl knocked again, he straightened his back and opened the door.

“Hello!” The girl said brightly. “My name is Caterina but you can call me Cat. I’m one of the RA’s and I’m here to welcome you to the building.” The girl, Cat, thrusted some leaflets into Alec’s hand and then turned her nose to the clipboard. “So, it says here your name is Alexander. It’s nice to meet you!”

She paused, waiting for Alec to reply.

“Erm, people call me Alec.”

Cat widened her smile and took a pen from one of her buns, clearly not deterred by Alec’s awkwardness.

“Alec? That’s a great name.” She quickly scrawled something on the clipboard and then stuck the pen back in her hair. “There are two orientation slots tomorrow and two more on Friday. If you could sign up to one of them then that would be great. The other RA’s and I will be going through the basics of living here, what to do in the event of a fire, how the common room works and the social calendar for the Autumn semester. I’m sure other things will come up but if you check in the common room for the timings that would be great.”

Catarina paused for a breath and someone laughed to her left. Alec snapped his head around, surprised at not having seen her companion beforehand. He was pretty, something that caused Alec’s mouth to hang open a little. His eyes were a gorgeous shade of amber and accented with a simple streak of eyeliner. His nose was crinkled slightly from his smile and his skin was the most fantastic shade of bronze - it contrasted with his dark brown hair, the ends of which were dyed purple. He was an inch or so shorter than Alec and wearing a bright patterned shirt and tight-fitting jeans.

Alec quickly focussed back into what Catarina was saying, welcoming the distraction from the man who was now impossible to ignore.

“…nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” Catarina turned back to Alec and fixed a smile onto her face. “Sorry about him, he wanted to come around with me to…” She frowned and looked to the man. “Why did you want to come with me?”

The man grinned.

“To check out the new people, of course, and see if any of them are especially _my type_.” He stepped closer to Alec’s door and extended his hand. “It seems we hit the jackpot. I’m Magnus, Magnus Bane.”

Alec choked on his tongue for a moment before hesitantly taking Magnus’ hand. It was an unusual name, but suited the man perfectly.

“Alec.”

Catarina cleared her throat and Alec jumped back into his apartment, heat rising to his cheeks and leaving Magnus’ hand hanging in the air.

“Well, if you need anything, my number is on the bottom of the green leaflet.” Catarina moved to leave but turned back at the last second. “Oh, we’re having a mixer later in the common room to welcome all the new residents and give everyone a chance to meet new people. Feel free to come along. It starts at seven.”

Magnus winked at Alec before dutifully following Catarina down the hallway and Alec tried to ignore his fast beating heart.

Alec had just shut his door when he saw his phone flashing on the breakfast bar. He dove to answer it before it went to voicemail.

“Alec! Where have you been? I’ve called you like, seven times or something. Are you in? We’re just waiting outside for the RA to let us in and give us our keys.”

Alec smiled at Isabelle’s voice and picked up his keys from the side.

“I’m here, Izzy. What room are you in again? I’ll wait for you there.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec helps Isabelle and Jace move in, we meet Clary and Simon and get a bunch of exposition about the main characters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading. This is another set-up chapter of sorts, so sorry about that. And it's kind of an info dump but oh well. Hope you enjoy!!

Alec decided to take the stairs, and by the time he had reached the first floor, Isabelle and Jace were stepping out of the elevator.

“Alec!” Isabelle squealed, dropping her bags and running across to her brother. “I’ve missed you so much!” She wrapped her arms around Alec’s shoulders and hugged him tightly.

“Hey, Izzy. I’ve missed you too. Are you alright?”

Isabelle stepped back and grinned.

“I’m great. How are you?”

Before Alec could answer, Jace interrupted, kicking Isabelle’s bags to the wall so that they wouldn’t get trapped in the elevator doors.

“What, no hug for your little brother? Is it ‘cause I’m adopted?” Jace tried his best to looked offended but a smile soon broke out across his face at Alec’s expression.

“Yeah, that’s why,” Alec said, walking over to Jace, “it’s got nothing to do with the fact that last time, you stuck a ‘kick me’ sign to my back and didn’t tell me about it till four hours later.”

“I forgot about that,” Jace smiled, hooking his arm around Alec’s neck, “but it’s good to see you. Everything alright?”

“Everything’s fine. I got all my things moved in okay yesterday and then I finished unpacking a couple of hours ago.” Alec nodded towards Isabelle’s bags, “is the rest of your stuff in the car?”

Jace spun his car key around his finger. “Yep. We were gonna bring it all up but we thought it’d be better to meet out new flatmates first.”

Isabelle clapped excitedly and picked up her bags.

“I’m so excited. I hope they’re nice.”

“Everyone’s nice to you, Iz.” Jace pointed out. “It’s me they’ll have trouble with.”

Alec murmured his agreement and wrestled himself away from Jace.

“Come on, then,” Alec pointed to the signs outside the elevator, “your apartment is this way.”

Despite her heels, Isabelle practically skipped down the hall. Jace and Alec followed with matching smirks and a few moments later, all three of them were standing outside Apartment 10.

Isabelle knocked and muffled shouting could be heard for a few seconds before the door swung open. Standing, side by side, was a boy and a girl.

“Hi!” The girl stuck her hand up in an awkward wave and, in the process, hit the boy on the shoulder. “Oops, sorry Simon. Erm…” The girl seemed to lose her confidence and her cheeks and neck began to turn red. She had pale skin and ginger hair that fell in loose curls over her shoulders. She was wearing jeans and an old green t-shirt that had dried paint splashed across it. Luckily, Isabelle had enough confidence for the entire building and extended her hand.

“Hi. I’m Isabelle but my friends call me Izzy, or Iz.”

The ginger girl physically relaxed in front of them and took Isabelle’s hand. “I’m Clary. And this is Simon.”

The boy, Simon, smiled and pushed his glasses up his nose. He had messy brown hair and tortoise-shell glasses that didn’t sit straight on his nose. He was also wearing jeans and his t-shirt read _LIFE IS SOUP AND I’M A FORK_. He stared a little bit too long at Isabelle before turning his attention to Jace and Alec.

“Hello.” Simon looked as though he wanted to say more but he kept his mouth closed.

“This is my brother, Jace,” Isabelle continued, gesturing to him as she spoke, “and this is my other brother, Alec.”

Clary frowned and sent a worried look to Simon. “I thought that there were only two people moving in?”

“Oh, Alec has his own place upstairs,” Isabelle explained, “he’s just helping us bring all our stuff up.”

Clary nodded, her shoulders dropping with relief.

“Right, okay, well, come in! It is your apartment after all.” Clary and Simon stepped back Isabelle, Jace and Alec followed.

“So, there are three bedrooms and obviously you and your brother won’t want to share. But Clary and I are more than happy to bunk in together – we’ve been best friends since we were kids so it’s no trouble.” Simon grinned and high-fived Clary. Alec rolled his eyes and looked longingly towards the door.

Isabelle placed her bags on a breakfast bar that was a touch bigger than the one Alec had in his apartment and placed her hands on her hips.

“Well, which room has the most wardrobe space?”

Clary shrugged and looked to Simon.

“Erm, I think it’s the biggest room. I dunno, we didn’t think to check.”

Isabelle sighed and straightened her back. “Right, come on. Take us on the grand tour and we’ll figure it out.”

Clary shot Simon a look that clearly said, _lead the way_ , and so Simon walked over to a narrow hallway and said,

“Bedrooms and bathrooms are down here.”

As Simon, Isabelle and Clary disappeared, Jace threw himself onto the couch and swung his legs up.

“Don’t you want to go look around?” Alec asked. Jace merely shrugged and pulled his phone from his pocket.

“They’ll figure it out and I’m fine wherever. You spoken to Maryse lately?”

Alec was about to answer when someone knocked loudly on the door. After staring at Jace for a few seconds, and realising that his younger brother wasn’t going to move, Alec turned around and opened the door.

It was like dejavu. The RA from earlier, Catarina, or Cat, was standing with her clipboard pressed to her chest. She blinked at Alec a couple of times, and then checked her papers before opening her mouth. However, before she could say anything, an all too familiar voice had Alec’s eyes drifting left.

“Well, if it isn’t you again.” Magnus grinned, shamelessly trailing his eyes up and down Alec’s body.

Alec tried to ignore the heat rising to his face and abruptly turned to Catarina.

“This is my brother and sister’s apartment. I’ll go get one of them.” Alec allowed the door to swing shut and went over to Jace, kicking the side of the couch when the blond didn’t look up. “Jace. You need to talk to the people at the door. Give me your car keys and I’ll start getting some of your stuff.”

Jace rolled his head back and begrudgingly stood up, wrestling his keys from his pocket and handing them to Alec.

“Fine. Who am I talking to?”

Alec wrapped his fingers around the kays and reached for the door handle.

“It’s the RA and her friend.” With that, Alec pulled the door open and walked straight past Catarina and Magnus, keeping his eyes focussed on the lift at the end of the hallway.

 

Jace’s car was a silver Range Rover that had been a gift from Robert and Maryse for his eighteenth birthday. He’d had it shipped over to the UK when he moved across for University and it was his pride and joy.

Alec opened the boot and pulled out a couple of suitcases and matching bags. Getting them into the building was easy enough and by the time Alec made it to the first floor, Catarina and Magnus were no longer in the hallway. This made Alec’s chest lighter and he didn’t bother knocking when he reached Jace and Isabelle’s new apartment.

However, as soon as he walked through the door, all the colour drained from his face. Clary was sat between Jace and Simon on one of the couches and Isabelle and Catarina were sitting on the other one. Magnus was standing in front of them all, leaning against the wall ever so slightly. The sight of Magnus made Alec’s mouth dry and he tried to avoid everyone’s eyes.

“Where do you want these?” Alec asked, hating how hoarse his voice sounded.

“I’ll show you!” Isabelle said, standing up and taking one of the bags from Alec.

Alec followed his sister down the hall and into one of the rooms. There were two twin beds and a large fitted wardrobe, along with all the other bedroom essentials.

“Clary and I are sharing.” Isabelle told Alec. “She seems really nice and Jace can’t take his eyes off her.”

Alec nodded silently and set the suitcases in the middle of the room.

“Why’s the RA and her friend here?” Alec asked, ignoring Isabelle’s withering stare.

“It’s called being sociable, Alec. It’ll be good to have Catarina as our friend. If we get noise complaints she might go easy on us.” Isabelle pushed the suitcases over to the right-hand bed. “Plus Magnus is kinda hot. He asked about you, by the way.”

Alec’s head snapped up and he narrowed his eyes at Isabelle.

“What did he say?”

Isabelle smiled sweetly and tapped her nose.

“Nothing horrible. They invited us to that mixer party tonight. Are you going to grace us with your presence?”

Alec shrugged and moved to stand in the doorway. “Maybe. I’ve got some reading to do but I doubt it’ll take me very long.”

Isabelle scowled and pushed past Alec, her hair bouncing as she walked.

“Classes haven’t even begun yet and you’re already doing work. Live a little, big bro, you won’t be this young forever.”

Alec pressed his lips together and ran his hand through his hair, fighting the urge to remind Isabelle that he was in his final year and had a much bigger work load. But he knew that it wouldn’t get him anywhere and settled for following her back into the living area.

“What did you say you were studying again, Izzy?” Clary asked as Isabelle sat down.

“I’m doing Forensic Science. It’s kind of cross sometimes but I’m actually really good at it.” Isabelle laughed and looked to Clary. “What about you?”

“I’m doing Art,” Clary gestured to her t-shirt, “as you can probably tell.”

“And you?” Isabelle raised her brows to Simon, who looked flustered and happy all at once.

“Oh, I’m doing Computer Science but I’m picking up a couple of extra modules from Game Design and I’m also in a band and we all go to these Music seminars together.”

Isabelle looked impressed but Jace was trying to hide a smile.

“What course are you taking, Cat?” Clary asked, folding one of her legs beneath her.

“Nursing.” Catarina replied, a warm smile spreading across her face. “It’s so exhausting but I absolutely love it. There’s nothing I’d rather do with my time.” This had everyone smiling and then Clary turned to Jace.

“How about you?”

Jace leant back against the sofa and put his feet up onto the circular coffee table.

“I’m doing a combined thing where I take Criminology classes three days a week and then Tuesdays and Thursdays I’ve got an internship with the police. I want to be a cop, eventually a detective and then anything that might come after is a bonus.”

“Sounds like a lot of work.” Clary said and Jace shrugged.

“Hard work was drilled into us as kids, right guys?” Isabelle laughed and Alec half-smiled.

“How about you, Magnus?” Isabelle asked.

“Oh, I’m doing Fashion Design.” Magnus said with a wave of his hand, “It’s extremely rewarding and I can’t imagine doing anything else. What about you, pretty boy?” Magnus asked, turning his body so that he was facing Alec.

Alec felt his face turn red and forced himself to look at the other man, trying to ignore the way Magnus eyes changed when he was smiling.

“Law, with extra classes in Politics and Psychology. And there’s the elective modules that help with getting into Law school and all that so those as well.” Alec crossed his arms and watched as Isabelle turned around in her seat.

“I didn’t know you were doing Politics _and_ Psychology. I thought you’d only chosen one.”

Alec shrugged. “I ended up picking them both. Mom thought it would look good.” Alec didn’t need to say any more as understanding filled both Isabelle and Jace’s eyes. “You need to call her, by the way,” Alec added, “she wants to make sure you got moved in alright.”

Isabelle nodded and Alec took the lull in conversation as an opportunity to escape, walking across to the door and avoiding anyone’s gaze.

“Leaving already?” Magnus asked and Alec tightened his grip on the door handle.

“I’m going to get more bags from the car.”

Magnus pouted but before Alec could make a fool out of himself by falling over or starting too drool, Isabelle suddenly appeared.

“I’m gonna help you. Come on, let’s go.”

Isabelle waved at the group and led Alec down the hallway. When they arrived at Jace car, Isabelle folded her arms and raised her brows at Alec.

“What?” He asked, opening the boot.

“I think you know but I’ll leave it for now. Are you coming to the mixer tonight or not?”

Alec shrugged and handed Isabelle a suitcase.

“I don’t know. You know I’m not really into parties.”

Isabelle extended the handle of the case and shook her head.

“I know but it might be good for you. Please say yes, it’ll be so much fun to catch up properly.”

Alec slung a couple of bags over his shoulder and bit his lip. Isabelle was staring at Alec with her patented _pretty please with a cherry on top_ eyes and Alec couldn’t help but smile.

“Okay, Izzy. But only for you.”

Isabelle squealed excitedly and took another bag from Alec.

“Of course, big bro. Who else would you be doing it for?”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A cat and the party!

Alec closed his apartment door him and leant against it, revelling in the quiet. It had taken a few more trips to the car to get all of Jace and Isabelle’s things up and into their rooms, and Alec was glad that he hadn’t been asked to stick around and help them unpack. The way Magnus stared at him was unnerving, and Alec didn’t have time to feel like that. He needed to be focussed. He needed to concentrate on what was important and, however much it pained Alec, Magnus wasn’t important. He was a distraction and Alec couldn’t afford to let his mind wander.

Alec locked his door behind him and looked at his watch. The party started at seven and it was currently half past four. That gave him just over a couple of hours to do some reading and then he could change his shirt and go down.

However, when Alec sat at his desk, something twitched in the corner of his eye. Alec leaned across and pushed the blind up an inch or so and was surprised to see a cat. It was a tiny thing with dappled grey and white fur. Alec had no idea what breed it was, but it’s paw was against his window. Alec only heisted for a second before pulling open the window and scooping up the cat. It easily fit in Alec’s hand and it meowed impatiently before nipping at his finger.

“Are you hungry?” Alec asked, scratching the cat’s head with one finger. The cat began to purr and Alec smiled. He carefully plopped the cat down on his couch and strode across to his kitchen, rummaging through his poorly stocked cupboards until he found a solitary can of tuna. He opened the tin and placed several chunks of fish onto a plate.

Alec set the plate on the floor beside the couch. The small cat sniffed the air and then jumped down, landing on its face slightly before padding over to the plate. Despite its size, the cat devoured the tuna, meowing happily and winding its way around Alec’s ankles once it had finished.

Pets weren’t allowed in the building, but the cat didn’t have a collar so Alec assumed that it was a stray. It didn’t look underfed, or scruffy but Alec guessed that it must mooch from one window to another until someone decided to feed it.

Alec picked up the cat again and placed him on the window ledge. The cat, instead of jumping down, wound itself up into a little ball. Shaking his head, Alec carefully lowered the window, making sure not to trap any of the cat’s fur, and then turned around, moving once more to sit in front of his laptop. Three of the ten files had been downloaded and Alec opened the first one.

However, just as he began to read, music started to play. Loudly. It was a repetitive tune that Alec vaguely recognised from the radio, but that didn’t make it any more appealing. Alec only had one next door neighbour and, as he pressed his ear to the wall that they shared, he could feel the vibrations of the music against his face and hands.

Alec was sourly tempted to bang on the wall, or barge round and ask whoever it was to keep it down, but the fact that classes hadn’t technically begun stopped him. The reading could wait till a time when it was quieter and, if Alec was being honest with himself, he wasn’t very focussed. He couldn’t get Magnus out of his head.

It wasn’t that Alec had never been hit on by guys before. Or that he had never been flirted with by someone so attractive – although Magnus was possibly one of the most beautiful men Alec had ever met. It was more the fact that Alec aspired to be like Magnus one day and it made him realise how much his own life disappointed him. When Magnus thought no one was looking, a smile remained on his face. When no one was looking at Alec, he knew that his face dropped and his true feelings could be seen.

Magnus was, as far as Alec could tell, content with his life. He was happy with the way things were and didn’t need to pretend when people’s attention was on him. Alec was the exact opposite. Sure, he loved his classes and wanted to do well, but he felt like he was living a lie. He couldn’t make friends or have relationships because, soon enough, he would have to leave and his parents would be right there, watching his every move, judging his every smile.

Before Alec left for England, Robert and Maryse had pulled him aside and warned him not to make attachments, to anyone. Alec understood what they meant. He knew they didn’t approve of his sexuality, and had grown to accept it as a fact of life that could not be changed, but Alec still feared that he would be under their thumb forever.

He wanted to impress them – it’s what he and Isabelle and Jace had been raised to do – so if he couldn’t marry the right girl, or any girl for that matter, then the least he could do was uphold the family business.

Alec laid down on his bed and closed his eyes, the music still blaring out next door. It distracted him from his thoughts of Magnus, and his parents, and before long, Alec was snoring gently.

 

He was abruptly woken up by his phone ringing and Alec reached for the device clumsily, knocking it onto the floor before managing to press the _answer_ button.

“Alexander! Where are you?” Isabelle’s voice was too loud and Alec cleared his throat before answering.

“Sorry, Izzy. What time is it?”

Alec could practically feel Isabelle’s scowl through the phone and sat up, peering at the clock on his bedside table.

“It’s almost eight! Are you trying to be fashionably late or something? Do I need to come and get you?”

Alec rubbed the sleep from the corners of his eyes and stood up, moving slowly over to his fridge to grab a bottle of water.

“No, Izzy. I’m sorry. I just got distracted, I swear. I’ll be down in a minute.”

Isabelle made some kind of noise that Alec interpreted as _you’d better be or else I’ll be knocking your door down_ and so he hung up the phone and ran a hand through his hair.

 

By the time Alec arrived at the party, Isabelle, Jace and their new friends were all crowded round a table. In comparison to most of the other people, Alec felt underdressed. He was wearing the same jeans as before and had swapped his creased t-shirt for a long-sleeved dark blue shirt.

When Alec walked into the room, he felt as though everyone was staring at him. Of course, a couple of people actually were, but Isabelle was soon by his side and guiding him towards their little group. Jace was talking closely with Clary and Simon was sipping on his drink. Catarina and Magnus were also at the table and Alec felt as though a heavy weight had sunk from his chest to his stomach. Luckily, Magnus was talking to Catarina, and so couldn’t spare Alec many glances.

“Finally, Alec. We thought you were ditching us.” Isabelle pushed Alec onto a stool and stood next to him, handing him a glass before picking up her own.

“Sorry, again. I just lost track of time.” Alec tried to smooth his hair down but he knew it was useless. He could see his reflection in a large mirror that covered most of the wall beside where they were sitting and his dark hair was sticking up at all angles, curling ever so slightly towards the ends.

“It doesn’t matter now – at least you’re here! Do you remember everyone’s names?” Isabelle smiled sweetly and Alec narrowed his eyes at her.

“Of course.”

The music playing was very similar to the stuff his neighbour had had on, and the lighting was dimmed just enough that everyone had shadows across their faces. It wasn’t Alec’s idea of fun, but he held his tongue when he saw how happy Isabelle was.

Isabelle was wearing a silver dress and her hair was pin-straight. Her heels were also impossibly high and Alec didn’t know how she could keep her balance so well in them.

“Who wants to dance?” Magnus asked, looking around the table, his eyes unmistakeably lingering on Alec several seconds too long. His hair was styled off to one side and his purple jacket matched the dyed tips of his hair. He was also wearing a black shirt that made his eyes seem dark and endless, and Alec could have stared into them for hours.

Thankfully, before Alec had to put words together, Isabelle grabbed Magnus’ arm in excitement.

“I do! We should all go – it’ll be so much fun!”

Catarina downed the rest of her drink before saying,

“Sure! Let’s go.” She took Isabelle’s other hand and Jace and Clary followed them onto the dance floor. Magnus was dragged along in the process and then it was just Alec and Simon.

“Don’t you want to dance?” Simon asked and Alec shook his head, sniffing the drink Isabelle had given him before taking a sip.

“No. I’m not really a dancer. You?”

Simon raised his glass to Alec. “Exactly the same. Also, I don’t want Clary to think I’m like, monitoring her or whatever.” Simon pushed his glasses up his nose. “Because we’re great friends and I’m sure your brother is nice, but I don’t wanna see that happen, if you get what I mean.”

Alec took another sip of his drink and nodded.

“Sure.”

Thankfully, they were spared from making more small talk when a waitress with dark curly hair appeared and set a tray of drinks down on the table.

“Hi, guys. How’re you both doing?”

Alec glanced to her nametag, it read _Maia_ , and he smiled tightly.

“Good, thanks.”

Simon, however, was turning pink and his mouth was moving but no words were coming out. Maid moved the fresh drinks onto the table and cleared away all the empty glasses. Just as she was about to walk away, Simon slammed his drink on the table and said, rather loudly,

“Lewis! I, err, Simon Lewis. That’s my name. Simon.”

The girl, Maia, pressed her lips together in an attempt to hide a smile.

“Well, Simon. Hi. Can I get you anything?”

Simon’s brows shot up and he stumbled out of his seat.

“I don’t wanna get you into trouble. I…I’ll walk with you.”

Maia laughed and after checking the table once more, she shrugged.

“Why not. My name’s Maia.”

Alec watched Simon and Maia walk to the bar and then moved his attention to the dance floor. He easily spotted Isabelle and then, by proximity, Jace and Clary and Catarina. However, the one person he was really looking for was nowhere to be found.

Alec picked up a fresh drink as he thought of Magnus and the glass was soon empty. Magnus. With his stupid perfect hair and dreamy eyes and sexy cheekbones and gorgeous jawline. Alec picked up another drink without thinking and downed that as well. He didn’t normally drink alcohol but he needed something to distract him and help him sleep later.

Alec scanned the crowd again, hating himself for it, and to his surprise, Magnus was there, dancing beside Catarina. He looked so carefree and happy that it sent goose bumps down Alec’s back. Alec half wanted to jump up from his seat and go to Magnus and dance beside him, to hold his hips and sway to the music and lean in an inch too close and feel the other man’s sweat on his hands. But the more sensible part of Alec kept him at the table and so he simply reached for another glass.

Alec only realised he was staring when Magnus’ whole body went rigid. Alec squinted his eyes, unsure as to whether it was the alcohol making people do funny things, when Magnus’ head snapped round to where Alec was sitting.

Alec looked away, embarrassed at being caught and he lined up all the empty glasses. It was only when he spotted purple at the edge of his vision that Alec glanced up and saw Magnus making his way towards the table. In a matter of seconds, he was there and Alec was trying his best to come up with an excuse, despite the haze of alcohol over his brain.

“Don’t look but my ex just walked in.”

Alec was confused. He wasn’t being mocked for staring, and Magnus’ behaviour now made a touch more sense. Not that it explained why he was over here telling Alec.

“And?”

Alec was impressed by how sober he sounded.

Magnus stepped closer to Alec.

“It ended badly. She dumped me a few months ago but then she texted me this morning. I was going to try and avoid her but she just saw me dancing with Cat and your sister.”

Alec was still confused.

“Why’re you telling me this?”

Magnus looked over his shoulder and Alec followed his gaze. A girl with platinum blonde hair was standing by the entrance of the room. She was wearing high waisted shorts and a black and white striped blouse.

“Well…” Magnus began, his cheeks turning pink, “I’d really appreciate it if you could maybe…help me make her jealous?”

Alec felt his throat tighten and he gripped the edge of the table.

“H-how?”

Magnus leaned closer, so that Alec could feel his breath against his ear.

“Just one kiss.”

For the first time in his life, Alec ignored the sensible half of his brain. Before he could talk or think his way out, Alec grabbed the lapels of Magnus’ jacket and crushed his lips against the other man’s.

It was awkward, at first, and Magnus let one of his hands rest on Alec’s arm while the other reached up to cup the back of Alec’s neck. Magnus also tilted his head to the side and Alec felt him push his body up so that their faces were more on the same level. But then something changed. Alec reached down to pull Magnus closer into him and Magnus nipped at Alec’s lower lip, releasing a tiny groan as he did so that set Alec’s blood on fire. Alec could taste Magnus’ cherry lip balm and Magnus was running his tongue against Alec’s, tasting the alcohol Alec had impulsively consumed.

It was then that Magnus pulled away, his chest rising and falling faster than before. Alec was half off his stool and his hands were still clutching at Magnus’ clothes. Over Magnus’ shoulder, Alec spotted Isabelle staring at him. She raised both her thumbs and mouthed something Alec couldn’t make out – but the reality of what he had just done hit him. He released Magnus and jumped out of his seat, pushing past the other man and stalking directly across to where Isabelle was standing.

Once he reached her, he leant down to her ear and said,

“Don’t tell mom and dad. They can’t know.”

Isabelle’s mouth and eyes fell and she nodded, beckoning for him to come closer.

“I promise.”

Alec smiled stiffly and he pushed his way off the dance floor to where the entrance doors were. He needed air, room to breathe, and he needed to sleep. Alcohol didn’t agree with him at the best of times, and it had just started something he knew he couldn’t ignore.

“Hey.” Someone grabbed Alec’s arm in the hallway outside the rec-room and Alec spun round, pulling his arm free and putting on his best glare.

“What?”

Alec hated how cold he sounded, especially when he saw that it was Magnus. But he pressed his lips together and kept his hands at his sides.

“Are you okay?” Magnus sounded genuinely concerned and it made Alec dig his nails into the palms of his hands.

“Yes. I’m sorry. I’ve got to go.”

“We should really talk.”

“About what?” Alec wanted to punch himself in the face.

Magnus hesitated before speaking. “About the kiss.”

“There’s nothing to talk about.”

“I disagree.”

Alec desperately wanted to walk away, but he knew he needed to clear things up properly, so that there was no confusion.

“Look, I’m sorry but that shouldn’t have happened.”

Magnus’ expression sent a knife through Alec’s heart and he pushed his hands into his pockets to stop himself from reaching out and touching the other man.

“I-I’m sorry. I spoke to your sister and she said that you were into guys. I didn’t mean to-”

“It’s not that.” Alec cut Magnus off.

“Then I don’t understand.”

Alec sighed and messed with his hair, trying to clear his head and cut through the alcohol that was making his mind fuzzy.

“It was a mistake. It won’t happen again. Sorry, but I’ve got to go.”

With that, Alec turned and began walking away. However, Magnus’ voice carried down the hallway.

“That’s not really an explanation.”

Alec froze and looked over his shoulder. Magnus’ eyes were bright and challenging and Alec knew that he wouldn’t be able to lie for much longer.

“Mind your own business.” Alec muttered, and continued walking until he reached the lift.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone care to guess who the cat belongs to? Also who Alec's loud neighbor is? (I've already mentioned this somewhere ;) )
> 
> Also I just got twitter! I'm a complete noob and have no clue how to use it yet, but I desperately need people to follow so come say hi! I'm @pumpkin_petals (I'm also on tumblr as @pumpkinpetals because continuity is good like that I guess)

**Author's Note:**

> Remember to leave Kudos if you liked it and to subscribe if you want to be alerted every time I upload a new chapter :))))))


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